While most of you remain unconvinced by the heavily rumoured PlayStation 4K, the big cheese at GameStop is rubbing his hands like a pantomime villain. Speaking at an investor day, COO Tony Bartel told an audience that, while the company's not basing its forecast particularly heavily on new formats, it's hyped about all of the rumours.
"Although we have not modelled extensive growth for new innovation in this presentation, we are very pleased to see the introduction of technology like virtual reality and rumoured new console launches, some of which seem imminent," the executive explained. Pressed for more details he added that the company knows "more" than it can share.
In theory, there could be three new console launches this year, with Microsoft expected to introduce a new iteration of the Xbox One and the Nintendo NX also on the way. It's going to be a fascinating few months that's for sure, and with PlayStation VR also due in October, it's easy to see why GameStop is over the moon. Whether consumers will be, though, remains to be seen.
[source uk.ign.com]
Comments 19
I'm going with him knowing more about NX than he can say, since Nintendo hasn't said anything about it other than "NX" and surely he knows more than that. So NX seems immenent, the rest is even more speculation than NX.
I still have a sneaking feeling that the supposed PS4k is in reality just the equivalent of the ps3 slim. A new build with some minor improvements and manufactured cheaper. I think developers probably were pushing against the idea of developing a game that has to meet the standards of several different formats. I would love to see a stronger ps4, but I have a feeling it will just be a ps4 with a 4k bluray built in and some minor improvements to lower cost. Who knows with the NX, everything is speculation at this point and all the rumors are just that, rumors. Some say it will be powerful, some say it wont. Some say it will be portable and some say it wont. It is all nonsense until we get official word.
I love to see a stronger PS4 in the future its called PS5! That said a slim PS4 with just a new blu-Ray drive that supports 4k "video" playback with upscaling or native would be fine. The idea of a more powerful PS4 would make 40 million current PS4 users feel left behind with useless hardware. Not something you want to do while at the top of the charts!!
I could understand Sony working on a counter to any Xbox one upgrade release. Something we would never see and only used by Sony if a stronger Xbox One was released. A forced reaction by Sony would be accepted by current user base.
We need a lot more regular console updates every 3/4 years with the same architecture which would make backward compatibility easier. From what I have read the games which would be developed would still work on the original PS4 just not as good performance wise as on the 4.5.
He must be talking about the Vita 2. Right? Right?!?
Why's everyone looking at me like that?
@Vineleaf I hope for a vita 2.
Ha, GameStop is stoked about the idea, because they can (and most likely will) lower the buy back price of the vanilla PlayStation 4 a few weeks before the rumored PlayStation 4K goes on sale. Money, money, money.
@PacificMustang to be fair it is a business.
Although I was originally happy at the news of ps4.5 In hindsight I am actually going to pass this upgrade. I may procrastinate until around this time next year, and then Im unlikely to buy. VR just isnt for me and I am unsold on 4k until it becomes essential (which a lot of forecasters agree will happen in 3-4 years). I hope for console gamings future this gen switches so quickly, we havent even had knack free on psplus yet.
It's going to be an exciting year for hardware.
I have PSVR locked in. I will DEFINITELY make sure to get NX locked in whenever those preorders go live, but uh... not sure about all the upgrade 4K stuff. Not worth another $400 to me. Rather spend that $400 on a separate console that offers an entirely separate library to add to the spread of games I have access to.
@themcnoisy To be fair I know GameStop is a business and I never said there was nothing wrong with that tactic. I was only stating that they are most likely stoked because of the money they are going to make. Please don't respond to me like I'm a moron, because I'm not.
Well, Gamestop was also excited for the backward compatibility on the Xbox One. So, I'm guessing Gamestop pretty much cares a lot of money.
Also, didn't Gamestop also partnered with Bamco to make a sh***y Souls mobile game just to make people but Dark Souls 3?
PS4K with 2X power, please!!!
The whole game industry is hyped about this. It's a masterstroke, whether Sony intended it or has been dragged into it.
If the new PS4.5 or PS4K is twice the power giving me 1080p 60fps with all the eye candy turned to max and a very large hard drive, I'm in.
If it just turns out to be a bog standard lame PS4 slim with no extra power and a 4K media player, then there is going to be a lot of people with egg on their faces and masses of angry gamers, bitter with disappointment.
@PacificMustang I never insinuated you were a moron, you took my comment the wrong way. To be fair I'm glad you replied as at the end of my comment I wrote;
" I hope for console gamings future this gen * switches so quickly "
I missed out does not. Haha 😆 I do not want the gen to end just yet.
If it has more memory. Or the ability to add an external hard drive. Ill be excited. 500gb just ain't enough for the amount of games I currently have.
@JohnKarnes i agree 100%
a revised model with a 4K blu-ray drive in it would be fine but to release a more powerful version would just p*** off the current install base who have invested all this time and money in the PS4
besides Nintendo did it with the New 3DS and it pretty much flopped because the people who are using them and consoles like the ease of use and like knowing that no matter what game they get it will work, it's simple plug and play tech and bringing out multiple different versions of a system that does different things is just confusing
i said it once and i will say it again "If i wanted to keep upgrading a system for gaming ever few years then i would just game on PC"
With the NX rumoured to have 30% more power than the PS4 and expected this year, PSVR launching and we know the PSVR will require a lot more processing power (motion control/tracking and higher frame rates) for success, it makes sense to release a more powerful PS4 rather than a whole new system.
MS surely need to address its weakness too - its in danger of becoming the 'Wii U' this generation - by that I mean that as games get more complex, the chances are that multi-platform releases are likely to be by far the least impressive (if they come at all to the XB1 - its already compromised on resolution and frame rates and doesn't have much room to compromise further). With its UWP/Win10, a new Xbox could slot into the family and allow multi-generation cross-play - it already has that with the XB360 games on XB1 so the next Xbox could play XB360 games with XB360 and XB1 owners etc.
A PS4k makes more sense for Sony. Its less likely to split the user base - certainly not to the extent a new generation 'PS5' would. It already has a library of games and could play these with the rest of the PS4 owners. At most I expect that 'some' PSVR games will require the PS4k but all others could/should also run on the PS4.
Its no secret that this gen was 'under-powered' at launch and with all the new technology launching (Hardware like GPU's, CPU's, VR etc, Software - like DX12, Mantel) and the increase of 4K TV's as well as Sony's own 4K streaming service (currently only on Sony's own 4K TV's) which could also be available on PS4k to reach a wider audience. the PS4 is going to look even more dated from a technological perspective despite the fact the console has only been out for 3yrs.
By upgrading its hardware, it could mean that more of Oculus Rift's games could come to PSVR and actually help prolong the PS4 generation. Admittedly those on PS4 could end up with games running at 720p but as it stands at the moment, I can't see the generation lasting 4+yrs (2 until next gen and then 2 for the transition period) - especially not with all the new technology advancements...
@Vineleaf "NX Gen Portable"
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